Cop mistakenly shoots cousin dead

A officer of the Philippine National Police’s Aviation Security Group shot dead his cousin, whom he mistook for a burglar, early yesterday in Valenzuela City.

According to PO3 Richard Bautista, officer-on-case, the victim, Carlos Diaz, 30, was seen by witnesses at around 2:25 a.m. yesterday pacing back and forth on the roof of PO1 Bernardo Padrinao’s house apparently for some fresh air.

Diaz was Padrinao’s second cousin and neighbor.

Padrinao, 29, who was then sleeping, was roused by a noise coming from the rooftop. He told the police that he thought there was a burglar out to rob the neighborhood again and took his Beretta pistol and went out to investigate.

Padrinao climbed onto the roof to confront the stranger, not recognizing it was his cousin. He fired a warning shot and ordered Diaz to identify himself. But Diaz apparently panicked and ran, prompting Padrinao to fire more shots.

Diaz fell after getting hit in the back. The bullet went through his left kidney, intestines and severed a major artery. Another bullet hit him in the right thigh.

Superintendent Vladimir Villasenor, Scene of the Crime Operations chief, who performed the autopsy on the victim, said Diaz died from severe blood loss. Padrinao voluntarily surrendered to the police.